Otoplasty surgery is an out patient procedure performed under a general anesthetic and generally takes two to three hours to perform. The technique used will depend on the problem.
One common technique involves a small incision in the back of the ear to expose the cartilage. This cartilage will then be sculpted and bend back toward the head. Non-removable stitches may be used to help hold this shape. Sometimes a larger piece of cartilage will be removed to give a more natural look.
Another technique involves a similar incision but during this, skin is removed and stitches are used to fold the cartilage back on itself to reshape the ear without removing cartilage.
A small scar on the back of the ear will be left behind but this will fade with time. If only one ear protrudes surgery will generally be performed on both ears to achieve balance.